ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways
Samaritan Job of SMP Kolkata
Kolkata, April 29, 2022
The Syama Prasad Port  authority Kolkata has informed today that the Container Vessel MV Marine Trust -01 destined to Chittagong Port at Bangladesh from Netaji Subhas Dock  of SMP Kolkata listed heavily at berth No.5 of NSD and took into water after completion of loading of containers. The preliminary enquiry revealed that the accident took place due to unplanned loading of cargo by the ship's staff.
The incident took place on March 24, 2022 and since then the owner has not bothered to visit the port to secure the vessel. The salvage operation was handled over to a salvor by the owner not recognized by H&M insurance or P&I insurance.
Now the salvor has discontinued the operation and the owner had declared the vessel abandoned in sunken condition. SMP Kolkata is losing revenue @ of about Rs 40 lakh per day due to the blockage of Berth No. 5 NSD. The 15 crew members of the vessel have been taken care of and safely kept at Marine Club.
Now the vessel being abandoned by the owner, the port or P&I club will have to take the responsibility for re-floatation of the vessel and restoration of the berth. Further once the vessel is refloated it will be required for service and watch keeping duties.
It is also to be mentioned that the H&M insurer has declined to declare the vessel total loss now so technically the owners are not absolved of their responsibility to Salvage the vessel. Mention may be made here also that the crew is aware about the vessel and their services will be required once the salvage operation starts. Thus their presence is also needed.
Ministry of Law and Justice
Zero Tolerance to Corruption and Black Money, says Shri Kiren Rijiju at the 8th Justice Ministers Meet of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization
India has a sound legal framework backed by strong institutional mechanism to deal with corruption: Law Minister
Minister for Law and Justice, Shri Kiren Rijiju today said that the approach of the Indian Government under Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is of Zero Tolerance to Corruption and Black Money and the country has a sound legal framework backed by strong institutional mechanism to deal with corruption.
Addressing the 8th Justice Ministers Meet of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization , Shri Rijiju highlighted the initiatives taken by the Indian Government for providing affordable and easy access to justice for all.
The Minister apprised the gathering the slew of legislative and executive measures taken by India to be largely UNCAC  compliant and underscored the high priority, the Government has given to resolving disputes through alternate dispute resolution; framing business facilitating laws and rules, including Commercial Courts Act and Arbitration Laws with a view to make India a preferred destination for investment and business.
Shri Rijiju mentioned the role of actions taken by India under Disaster Management Act for effective management and containing the spread of COVID-19 and to lay down substantive guideline to ensure appropriate COVID protocol and medical facilities.
The Law Minister also highlighted various facets of provisioning of free legal aid to marginalized sections of the society. In this regard, he also informed launching of E-Lok Adalat, an effective tool to settle disputes, combining technology and Alternative Dispute Resolution  mechanism which offer a faster, transparent and accessible option to the citizens of the country.
As part of activities of Justice Ministers’ Forum, Shri Rijiju urged the SCO Member States to promote exchange of ideas, best practices and experiences in identified areas through this prestigious podium. He also stressed on widening the horizon of activities being undertaken in the SCO Forum.
Earlier, on 4th and 5th of August, 2021 the Experts Working Group of SCO Member States discussed the importance of providing free legal aid to the citizens as also cooperation in all spheres including legal initiatives, given the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Shri Anoop Kumar Mendiratta, Secretary, Department of Legal Affairs, Ministry of Law & Justice, was part of the consultations from the Indian side.
The Ministers of  Justice and senior officials / experts from the Ministries of Law & Justice of India, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Russian Federation, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan participated in the three days’ deliberations which concluded today. The next meeting shall be hosted by Islamic Republic of Pakistan. A Joint Statement following the Results of the Eighth Session of the Ministers of Justice of the SCO Member States was also adopted.
Text of Joint Statement
Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
Union Sports Minister Shri Anurag Thakur and MoS Shri Nisith Pramanik will cheer for Indian athletes during Opening Ceremony from National Stadium tomorrow
Key Highlight:
Eminent personalities from all walks which include ex-athletes and others from across the country will join the event to motivate our athletes
As the 32nd Summer Olympics will get underway tomorrow in Tokyo, Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Anurag Singh Thakur and Minister of State, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Nisith Pramanik will be watching the Opening Ceremony at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium.
Eminent personalities from all walks which include ex-athletes and others from across the country will join the event to motivate our athletes as part of the #Cheer4India campaign envisioned by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. Among those expected to join are Haryana Sports Minister Sandeep Singh, MP Sports Minister Yashodhara Raje Scindia, National Badminton Coach Pullela Gopichand, among others.
India will be sending their largest ever contingent of 127 athletes at these Olympics which also includes the highest female representation of 56 athletes.
Ministry of Law and Justice
Justice Sharad Kumar Gupta tenders his resignation from the office of Judge of Chhattisgarh High Court
Justice Sharad Kumar Gupta has tendered his resignation from the office of Judge, Chhattisgarh High Court, in pursuance of proviso  to clause  of Article 217 of the Constitution, with effect from 31 March, 2021 afternoon. A notification in this regard was issued by Department of Justice, Ministry of Law & Justice today.
Shri Justice Sharad Kumar Gupta, B.Sc., LL.B.,entered Judicial Service in 1985 and served in various capacities at different places as a Judicial Officer. He was appointed as an Additional Judge of the Chhattisgarh High Court on 27.06.2017 and as Permanent Judge on 02.09.2019.
RKJ/M
(Visitor Counter : 261
Ministry of Finance
Income Tax Department Refunded Rs. 62,361 crore to more than 20 lakh taxpayers amid COVID-19 pandemic
In pursuance to the Government’s decision vide Press Note dated April 8th, 2020 to issue pending income tax refunds in order to help taxpayers in a COVID-19 pandemic situation, the Income Tax Department has issued tax refunds at a speed of 76 cases per minute from 8th April to 30th June, 2020. During this period of just 56 weekdays, the Central Board of Direct taxes  has issued refunds in more than 20.44 lakh cases amounting to more than Rs. 62,361 crore.
It is stated that taxpayers are experiencing this facet of the I-T Department which is not only taxpayer-friendly, but also that of a facilitator providing liquidity in this hard time of COVID-19 pandemic. Income tax refunds amounting to Rs. 23,453.57 crore have been issued in 19,07,853 cases to taxpayers and corporate tax refunds amounting to Rs. 38,908.37 crore have been issued in 1,36,744 cases to taxpayers during this period. Refunds of this magnitude and numbers have been issued completely electronically and have been directly deposited into the bank accounts of the taxpayers. Unlike what used to happen some years ago, in these refund cases, no taxpayer had to approach the Department to request for release of refund. They got refunds directly into their bank accounts.
CBDT reiterated that taxpayers should provide immediate response to emails of the Department so that refunds in their cases too could be processed and issued right away. Such emails of I-T Department seek taxpayers to confirm their outstanding demand, their bank account number and reconciliation of defect/mismatch prior to issue of refund. In all such cases, quick responses from the taxpayers would enable the I-T Department to process their refunds expeditiously.
Ministry of Finance
DRI busts iPhone smuggling Racket
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence has caught a stockpile of iPhones being smuggled into the country.
After developing precise intelligence, officers of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence  inspected two consignments on 26.11.2021. These consignments had arrived from Hong Kong, at Air Cargo Complex , Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai. In the import documents, the goods were declared as “memory cards”. Physical examination, however, revealed that the consignments actually contained the following items–
|
|
Description
|
|
Quantity
|
|
iPhone 13 Pro
|
|
2,245
|
|
iPhone 13 Pro Max
|
|
1,401
|
|
Google Pixel 6 pro
|
|
12
|
|
Apple Smart Watch
|
|
1
Thus, a total of 3,646  iPhone-13 mobile phones were found in the intercepted consignments. The above mentioned mobile phones and apple smart watch, not having been declared, were seized under the Customs Act, 1962. The total value of the seized goods is around Rs. 42.86 crore, while the declared value of the goods was only Rs. 80 lakh.
iPhone 13 models went for sale in India from September 2021 onwards, with a base price of Rs. 70,000/-, and some of the higher-end models costing up to Rs. 1,80,000/-. Import of mobile phones into India attracts effective Customs Duty of around 44%.
The detection of attempted smuggling of these high-end phones of latest models in such large numbers shows how quickly the smugglers establish their smuggling networks for the latest products, like iPhone 13. This detection has helped unearth a serious import fraud, reinforcing DRI’s ability to detect and combat unique and sophisticated methods of smuggling, having substantial revenue implications. As the guardians of the nation’s economic frontiers, DRI remains steadfast to combat smuggling.
Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas
India has been ranked third largest primary energy consumer in the world
Government has announced its aim of achieving 500 GW installed capacity from non-fossil fuel based capacity by 2030
The Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Shri Rameswar Teli in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today informed that the as per India Energy Outlook 2021, published by International Energy Agency , India has been ranked third largest primary energy consumer in the world.
India’s Hydrocarbon requirements are met through domestic production as well as through imports. The country imports oil and gas from various geographical regions including countries from the Middle-East, Africa, Europe, North America, South America and South-East Asia.
As per World Energy Outlook 2021 of IEA, the current share of India in global primary energy consumption is 6.1% and is likely to increase to about 9.8% under stated policies scenario by 2050. To meet the increased requirement of hydrocarbon fuel, major strategies adopted inter alia include: attracting investment in Exploration & Production to enhance domestic oil and gas production, shifting to gas based economy, technological upgradation to improve refinery processes, energy efficiency and productivity, accelerating bio-fuel economy, expanding overseas oil and gas portfolio, diversifying oil and gas supply sources, etc. Government has taken up development of National Gas Grid, City Gas Distribution Networks to cover major demand centres across the country to provide clean and green fuel to Public. As per Ministry of Power, significant addition to Thermal , Large Hydro  and Nuclear Energy  capacity is underway.
The Government has also announced its aim of achieving 500 GW installed capacity from non-fossil fuel based capacity  by 2030.
Ministry of Defence
PRESIDENT CONFERS VAYU SENA MEDAL  ON GROUP CAPTAIN RAHUL SINGH  FLYING 
EMBARGO : NOT TO BE PUBLISHED/BROADCAST/
OR USED ON SOCIAL MEDIA BEFORE 15 AUG 22, 0001 HRS
Group Captain Rahul Singh  Flying  is on the posted strength of a C-17 Transport Squadron.
On 15 Aug 21, as part of Operation Devi Shakti, the officer was detailed as the Overall Mission Commander of the three C-17 aircraft tasked for the evacuation of Indian Embassy staff and diaspora from Kabul in the face of Taliban's then imminent takeover. With the very real threat of MANPADS  & small arms fire around the airport, and a Navigation Aid and Communication black out, the mission required intricate planning and comprehensive preparation. The flight landed at Kabul airport at night and taxied to the spot vacated by the preceding C-17 aircraft. After holding on ground for nearly four hours the possibility of the remaining evacuees reaching the airport still remained bleak. At this point the situation turned hostile with sporadic gunfire and swarms of civilians having broken through the southern perimeter wall rushing towards aircraft parked in the northern part of the airfield. The officer displaying superior judgement and dynamic decision making, executed an expeditious departure for Dushanbe to obviate any harm to the aircraft. At Dushanbe, he remained in constant contact with Air HQ Ops room and Indian Air Attache via SATCOM to keep updated on the latest ground situation and coordinate a second landing attempt. Close to midnight, sensing an opportunity the officer took off for Kabul for a possible blind landing using NVGs . Short of Kabul Airport, the flight had to hold for close to an hour  near Durand line as communications could not be established with the now evacuated ATC tower and Radar Approach services. The officer, displaying sharp situational awareness and swift decision-making, contacted USAF Airborne Control, and obtained an accurate update of the ground situation. At the same time he was also coordinating via SATCOM with the Air Attache on ground. After frantic negotiations the aircraft was finally cleared for landing at own risk. Post parking, the officer established contact with the US Ground Force commander and directed the GARUD forces to establish a defensive perimeter around the aircraft. Post a four hour delayed arrival of the 153 evacuees; the officer promptly taxied out and executed a flawless Tactical Departure in order to avoid ground fire in the absence of any ground Navigation Aids.
For this act of exceptional courage, Group Captain Rahul Singh is awarded Vayu Sena Medal .
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
COVID19 Vaccination-Day 75
More than 6.43 Cr COVID19 vaccine doses administered
13.04 lakh vaccine doses given till 7 pm today
The cumulative number of COVID19 vaccine doses administered in the country has crossed 6.43 Crore today.
A total of 6,43,58,765 vaccine doses have been given, as per the provisional report till 7 pm today.
These include 82,47,288 HCWs who have taken the 1st dose and 52,38,705 HCWs who have taken the 2nd dose, 91,34,627 FLWs , 39,23,172 FLWs , 3,00,39,599 1st dose beneficiaries and 86,869 2nd dose beneficiaries more than 60 years old and 76,74,934  and 13,571  beneficiaries aged 45 and above with specific co-morbidities.
|
|
HCWs
|
|
FLWs
|
|
45 to <60 years with Co-morbidities
|
|
Over 60 years
|
|
1st Dose
|
|
2nd Dose
|
|
1st Dose
|
|
2nd Dose
|
|
1st Dose
|
|
2nd Dose
|
|
1st Dose
|
|
2nd Dose
|
|
82,47,288
|
|
52,38,705
|
|
91,34,627
|
|
39,23,172
|
|
76,74,934
|
|
13,571
|
|
3,00,39,599
|
|
86,869
Total 13,04,412 vaccine doses were given till 7 pm today, the Seventy fifth day of nationwide COVID19 vaccination. Out of which 11,07,413 beneficiaries were vaccinated for 1st dose and 1,96,999 beneficiaries received 2nd dose of vaccine as per the provisional report. Final reports would be completed for the day by late tonight.
|
|
Date: 31st March,2021
|
|
HCWs
|
|
FLWs
|
|
45to<60yearswithCo-morbidities
|
|
Over60years
|
|
Total Achievement
|
|
1stDose
|
|
2ndDose
|
|
1stDose
|
|
2nd Dose
|
|
1stDose
|
|
2nd Dose
|
|
1stDose
|
|
2nd Dose
|
|
1stDose
|
|
2ndDose
|
|
31,049
|
|
19,180
|
|
86,210
|
|
1,32,705
|
|
3,21,977
|
|
6,747
|
|
6,68,177
|
|
38,367
|
|
11,07,413
|
|
1,96,999
Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution
Paddy Procurement to start from Oct 11, 2021 in Punjab & Haryana as of now
Widespread rainfall has been experienced across Punjab and Haryana during second fortnight of September 2021. Untimely showers have affected the standing paddy crop in both the agrarian states. The maximum temperature at most of the places has also been recorded below normal due to downpour. Again there was heavy downpour on 29.9.21 and 30.9.21 in some parts of the States of Punjab and Haryana. Because of the untimely rains, maturity of paddy grains is delayed. As per Indian Meteorological Department  data, rainfall during September 2021 is 77% and 139% above normal in Punjab and Haryana respectively.
Govt. of Haryana also wrote to Department of Food & Public Distribution under Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution intimating about the untimely rain and requested for relaxation in moisture content in the paddy. On the basis of moisture content check by FCI’s Regional Offices at Punjab and Haryana, it was reported that paddy samples are having moisture ranging from 18% to 22% in Punjab and 18.2% to 22.7% in Haryana against the permissible limit of 17%. Accordingly, to save farmers from inconvenience and to protect farmer’s interest, Government of India decided that procurement of paddy under MSP operation would commence from 11th October 2021 in Punjab and Haryana and advised all agencies to gear up dying to help farmers.
Procurement of paddy at high moisture content is fraught with risk of increase in damage percentage of rice grain. Also the grain will become vulnerable to shriveling, blackening, discolouration and prone to infestation. This may lead to rejection at procurement centres and would lead to distress sale of paddy and consequent loss to the farmers. The better course would be to harvest the paddy crop offered after a period of 10 days i.e. after proper maturity then the problem of moisture in the paddy grain can be minimized. Accordingly, State Government of Punjab and Haryana have also been requested to advise their agencies to dry the paddy already arrived and further produce may be brought to the mandi after proper drying.
The decision to start the procurement of Paddy under MSP from 11th October 2021 in Punjab and Haryana is in the overall interest of farmers and consumers as well so as to accept paddy stock as per FAQ specifications to ensure quality procurement for millions of consumers under PDS of National Food Security Programme. However, moisture content is the main determining factor.
Ministry of Power
Environmentally Healthy and Clean India is at the Core of the Government’s Long Terms Goals: RK Singh
Environmentally Healthy and Clean India is at the core of the Government’s long term goals says the Minister of State  Power and New and Renewable Energy Shri RK Singh. Inaugurating NTPC’s two day conference on Agro Residue and Municipal Solid Waste to Power, today he said the intent is to generate power keeping the environment health and contributing to Swachh Bharat. The Minister added that social objective is that of a healthier planet and there are costs attached to attain this objective. The intent is to design policies so that long-term social goals are met for clean India. Agro residue and municipal solid waste can both be used for power generation, this just need to address the challenges to optimally leverage this process.
Speaking on the occasion, Shri A.K. Bhalla, Secretary, Power said NTPC is the flagship company of the whole country and complemented the management for bringing in the spirit of innovation to tackle these issues for a clean environment. The conference is an ideal platform for all stakeholders to collate and interact on imperatives and issues facing the sector and use them at power projects on Pan-India basis.
In its effort to curb air pollution, the NTPC had invited tender for procurement of agro residue based biomass pellets. It has been successful in obtaining the commitment for receiving approximately 200 metric tonnes per day of agro residue based fuel at NTPC Dadri. It will generate approximately 150 MU of renewable electricity annually.
NTPC is actively working to find out the solution for Agro residue and Municipal Solid Waste to Power the workshop is deliberating issues amongst policy makers, pellets manufacturers, regulators, financiers and power professionals, waste to energy experts and companies in the field of waste to energy.
Ministry of Home Affairs
Minister of State for Home affairs Shri Nityanand Rai Chaired A High Level Meeting To Review The Current Flood Situation In The Country
On the directions of Union Minister of Home Affairs Shri Amit Shah, Minister of State for Home affairs Shri Nityanand Rai today chaired a high level meeting to review the current flood situation in different parts of the country and the preparedness of Central Ministries / Agencies concerned to deal with the situation.
India Metrological Department  informed that during the last 2 days, Maharashtra, Kerala and Karnataka have got excess rain fall with extremely heavy down pour. In addition, Gujarat, West Madhya Pradesh and East Rajasthan are also expected to receive heavy rainfall in the next 24 hours. DG, NDRF apprised that 83 NDRF teams have been positioned in vulnerable areas of flood affected four states along with all necessary equipments. These teams are in addition to the 173 teams of army, navy, air force and coast guard. Control Rooms in MHA, NDRF, IMD and CWC are keeping close watch on the situation on 247 basis. They have, thus far, evacuated over 82,000 people to safer places and rescued of 2325 people.
After the review, Minister of State for Home Affairs Shri Nityanand Rai directed the senior officers to take every possible measure to deal with the situation arising out of South-West Monsoon in the concerned states and to extend all necessary assistance to the flood affected states. NDRF, MoD and other agencies involved in the rescue and relief operations have assured that requests from concerned states are being fulfilled on a real-time basis.
During the meeting, Home Secretary, DG, NDRF, Member Secretary NDMA, senior officers from Ministry of Home Affairs , Ministry of Defence, Central Water Commission  and Indian Meteorological Department  were present.
Union Home Minister is continuously monitoring the situation and instructing concerned officials to take necessary actions.